A green light Thursday -- for food trucks in Orleans Parish. The City Council voted to allow them to park in more places."It was a provision in the law that we wanted to get changed," said Andrew Legrand, a small-business attorney who has been representing dozens of food truck vendors in their fight to serve the public.Click here to view report.Two amendments to New Orleans' food truck ordinance taste like victory. Thursday, the City Council voted to eliminate a 600-foot buffer zone around restaurants for the 100 food trucks that currently have permits."There's no buffer zone. If they want to serve in front of a restaurant, they can. And they're allowed to go downtown as long as they go through the new franchise permitting application," said Legrand.That newly created franchise permit would allow some trucks into previously restricted areas, including the CBD and the Warehouse district. But never the French Quarter. It would require council approval and additional fees. This proximity issue is something the restaurant industry has fought. An attorney for the Louisiana Restaurant Association raised concerns."No one has the constitutional right to engage in a private business on a public street," said Alan Yacoubian, who represents the LRA.The city says the Department of Public Works will be involved in the franchise permit approval process. Vendor Gwendolyn Wallace says the franchise permits are disrespectful to downtown business owners."When you pay property tax per square foot for a corporation -- you are spending some money. When you are on a truck -- you're not spending any money," said Wallace. "You start this franchise stuff out, and you gonna weed the little people like me out."Wallace worries franchise permits will be bought and sold, like what happened in the taxi industry."So the big dogs with the big money are going to come in and buy them up and they are going to sublet them and sell them to me for a whole lot more and make profit that the city will never see," said Wallace.The city says the application process will prevent that from happening. Before any franchise location is approved, a public hearing will take place before the City Council"This is a new section of laws that was completely re-drafted. I guess we'll have to see how this plays out in practice in the next few months," said Legrand.The mayor has 10 days to take action. He is expected to sign this into law after calling buffer zones unconstitutional.Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here from your desktop computer to sign up; on our mobile website, use the drop down to the right to "Get Email Alerts."13484466

NEW ORLEANS —

A green light Thursday -- for food trucks in Orleans Parish. The City Council voted to allow them to park in more places.

"It was a provision in the law that we wanted to get changed," said Andrew Legrand, a small-business attorney who has been representing dozens of food truck vendors in their fight to serve the public.

Two amendments to New Orleans' food truck ordinance taste like victory. Thursday, the City Council voted to eliminate a 600-foot buffer zone around restaurants for the 100 food trucks that currently have permits.

"There's no buffer zone. If they want to serve in front of a restaurant, they can. And they're allowed to go downtown as long as they go through the new franchise permitting application," said Legrand.

That newly created franchise permit would allow some trucks into previously restricted areas, including the CBD and the Warehouse district. But never the French Quarter. It would require council approval and additional fees.

This proximity issue is something the restaurant industry has fought. An attorney for the Louisiana Restaurant Association raised concerns.

"No one has the constitutional right to engage in a private business on a public street," said Alan Yacoubian, who represents the LRA.

The city says the Department of Public Works will be involved in the franchise permit approval process. Vendor Gwendolyn Wallace says the franchise permits are disrespectful to downtown business owners.

"When you pay property tax per square foot for a corporation -- you are spending some money. When you are on a truck -- you're not spending any money," said Wallace. "You start this franchise stuff out, and you gonna weed the little people like me out."

Wallace worries franchise permits will be bought and sold, like what happened in the taxi industry.

"So the big dogs with the big money are going to come in and buy them up and they are going to sublet them and sell them to me for a whole lot more and make profit that the city will never see," said Wallace.

The city says the application process will prevent that from happening. Before any franchise location is approved, a public hearing will take place before the City Council

"This is a new section of laws that was completely re-drafted. I guess we'll have to see how this plays out in practice in the next few months," said Legrand.

The mayor has 10 days to take action. He is expected to sign this into law after calling buffer zones unconstitutional.